Boy suing Aquinas College, Ringwood after death of Kyle Vassil on school camp

A BOY whose close friend drowned on camp is suing the school they both attended six years ago for future lost earnings due to the devastating impact of his mate’s death.

A BOY who watched his close friend drown on a school camp six years ago says he still lives with the memories every day. Jay Vandenhout is suing Aquinas College for future lost earnings after dropping out of school after the devastating impact of his mate’s death. Jay was present when Kyle Vassil, 12, drowned in a waterhole at Alpine Ash Mountain Retreat, Toolangi, on the first day of the camp in February 2010.

A BOY whose close friend drowned on a school camp they both attended six years ago says he still lives with the memories every day.

Jay Vandenhout is suing Aquinas College for future lost earnings after dropping out of school after the devastating impact of his mate’s death.

Jay was present when Kyle Vassil, 12, drowned in a waterhole at Alpine Ash Mountain Retreat, Toolangi, on the first day of the camp in February 2010.

They swam in water about 3m deep when Jay decided to get out and take his socks off.

“Me and Kyle were having a swim in the middle of the dam and we were having a laugh,” he told the Herald Sun in an email just two days after the tragedy. “I said to him I would be back in a minute.

“(I) went back out to find a kid screaming to the teachers, ‘Help, help’. And that’s when I realised Kyle was missing.”

Aquinas College school captain Ash Woodward holds a photo of Kyle Vassil at his memorial.

Jay Vandenhout.

Mr Vandenhout, now 18, told this week of the ongoing impact on he and his family. “Every day, memories of what happened play over in my mind. Every day,” he said.

“It just changed my whole life. It sent me from being an A-grade student to leaving school early, it caused a lot of family dramas because I was just stuck in a hole.

“My family had to try and deal with me and how it left me afterwards. It’s been hard on them as well over the past few years,” he said.

Five of Kyle’s year 7 classmates tried to drag him to safety and raise the alarm. One boy holding on to Kyle was forced to let go after he began sinking.

A teacher also leapt in to try to save him, but it was two hours before his body was recovered by police.

According to a writ issued in the County Court, the impact of his friend’s death and witnessing the rescue attempts left Mr Vandenhout depressed, anxious and nervous.

This, the court papers say, led to a significant deterioration in his academic performance that saw him leave school early in 2012 to take up a panelbeating apprenticeship, which he failed to complete.

Mr Vandenhout eventually completed year 11 and 12 at a VCAL learning centre but claims his job prospects have been significantly impaired.

He claims the school was negligent for allowing pupils to swim in the cold and dirty dam without adequate supervision, training or safety kit.

In late 2014, Coroner Peter White found the failure of teachers to recognise the danger was partly to blame for Kyle’s death.

Aquinas College declined to comment on the writ.

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